BLUE EARTH — The Blue Earth City Council took steps toward bringing two long-standing construction projects to a close during their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Aug. 16, at 5 p.m.

Final assessment hearings were held for both the Sailor Street improvement project and the Leland Parkway improvement project.

The resolution to adopt the final assessments explained, “Each tract of land is hereby found to be benefitted by the proposed improvement in the amount of the assessment levied against it.”

City engineer Wes Brown conducted a short presentation to further outline the origin of the decided-upon assessment.

The total project costs for the Sailor Street project, Brown shared, were $2,590,861, with assessment funding coming to $583,444.96.

The Leland Parkway project, meanwhile, came to a total cost of $3,575,000 with assessment funding at $304,764.84.

Apart from rare instances of appeal or deferment, assessments will be paid by residents through property taxation, in installments over a 15-year period. The interest rate for the assessments of both projects is set at a rate of 3.123 percent.

Other issues discussed by the council include:

— A second reading of the ordinance to amend the regulation of special vehicles in Blue Earth. The council discussed the requirement for head lamps and trail lamps listed on the draft of the ATV/Golf Cart permit application.

Mayor Rick Scholtes suggested it is contradictory to require lights on special vehicles when the ordinance stipulates such vehicles can only be operated from sunrise to sunset. After some discussion, the council decided to specify approved operating times for special vehicles, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and to require lights after darkness falls.

— Preliminary budget discussions at a work session held prior to the regularly scheduled meeting, at 4:30 p.m.

City administrator Mary Kennedy stated the proposed budget will be prepared by Sept. 20, with a Truth and Taxation hearing on Dec. 6 and a final levy decided upon by Dec. 20.

She shared there is an increase in local government aid (LGA) certified for next year. The city will receive a total of $2,066,662 in LGA.

Kennedy also reported the city has already received half of its funds from the American Rescue Plan. Blue Earth has been allocated a total of $328,879.30, the rest of which will be received no earlier than July, 2022.